Maya Angelou, who is still around now, is a famous book writer and a poet. She was born April 4, 1928 in St.Louis Missouri.
Maya Angelou
She was born in times of discrimination. She was raped at the age of 8. She told only her brother about it. Later on, her rapist was killed by her own uncles. She thought she had to do with it and went mute for up to six years. She then also spent her teen and early 20's in isolation and experimentation.
At the age of 31, at MLK's request, she became ths northern coordinator of the southern christian leadership conference. She left America and from 1961-1962, became the associate editor of The Arab Observer in Cario, Egypt. Then, 1964-1966, she was feature editor of the African Review in Accra, Ghana. She finally returned to America in 1974. She was appointed bicentennial commision from General Ford. Later, she was then appointed commision for international woman of the year by Jimmy Carter. She became an overnight american figure. Maya is still alive today and is still going strong. She's only 82 years old actually. She has written many books and poems. Three of her poems that I thought were the best out of all of them I posted below.
Refusal by Maya Angelou Beloved,
In what other lives or lands
Have I known your lips
Your Hands
Your Laughter brave
Irreverent.
Those sweet excesses that
I do adore.
What surety is there
That we will meet again,
On other worlds some
Future time undated.
I defy my body's haste.
Without the promise
Of one more sweet encounter
I will not deign to die.
Still I Rise by Maya Angelou You may write me down inhistory
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I'll rise.
Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
'Cause I walk like I've gotoilwells
Pumping in mylivingroom.
Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I'll rise.
Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops.
Weakened by my soulful cries.
Does my haughtiness offend you?
Don't you take it awful hard
'Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines
Diggin' in my own back yard.
You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I'll rise.
Does my sexiness upset you?
Does it come as a surprise
That I dance like I've gotdiamonds At the meeting of my thighs?
Out of the huts of history's shame
I rise
Up from a past that's rooted in pain
I rise
I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.
Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that's wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that myancestorsgave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise.
Alone by Maya Angelou Lying, thinking
Last night
How to find my soul ahome
Where water is not thirsty
And bread loaf is not stone
I came up with one thing
And I don't believe I'm wrong
That nobody,
But nobody
Can make it out here alone.
Alone, all alone
Nobody, but nobody
Can make it out here alone.
There are some millionaires
With money they can't use
Their wives run round like banshees
Their children sing the blues
They've got expensivedoctors
To cure their hearts of stone.
But nobody
No, nobody
Can make it out here alone.
Alone, all alone
Nobody, but nobody
Can make it out here alone.
Now if you listen closely
I'll tell you what I know
Storm clouds are gathering
The wind is gonna blow
The race of man is suffering
And I can hear the moan,
'Cause nobody,
But nobody
Can make it out here alone.
Alone, all alone
Nobody, but nobody
Can make it out here alone.
This poem is really deep. The theme
of the poem was about a loved one she
wants to meet just one more time.
It gave me reasons to love one another.
Rhyme:abcbdefghijklmno
There's no poet devices used.
This is my favorite poem of hers. It's just so
beutiful, really. The theme is about her baring
through her tough experiences and still, like
the poem says, she'll rise. Some historical
context can be applicable. The times of
slaves can be something that inspired her to
write this poem.
Rhyme:abcb defe ghih jklk mnon pqrq ststuuv
svwwsss
Personifacation, hyperbole, and simile are
used.
She was born in times of discrimination. She was raped at the age of 8. She told only her brother about it. Later on, her rapist was killed by her own uncles. She thought she had to do with it and went mute for up to six years. She then also spent her teen and early 20's in isolation and experimentation.
At the age of 31, at MLK's request, she became ths northern coordinator of the southern christian leadership conference. She left America and from 1961-1962, became the associate editor of The Arab Observer in Cario, Egypt. Then, 1964-1966, she was feature editor of the African Review in Accra, Ghana. She finally returned to America in 1974. She was appointed bicentennial commision from General Ford. Later, she was then appointed commision for international woman of the year by Jimmy Carter. She became an overnight american figure. Maya is still alive today and is still going strong. She's only 82 years old actually. She has written many books and poems. Three of her poems that I thought were the best out of all of them I posted below.
Beloved,
In what other lives or lands
Have I known your lips
Your Hands
Your Laughter brave
Irreverent.
Those sweet excesses that
I do adore.
What surety is there
That we will meet again,
On other worlds some
Future time undated.
I defy my body's haste.
Without the promise
Of one more sweet encounter
I will not deign to die.
You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I'll rise.
Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
'Cause I walk like I've got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.
Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I'll rise.
Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops.
Weakened by my soulful cries.
Does my haughtiness offend you?
Don't you take it awful hard
'Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines
Diggin' in my own back yard.
You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I'll rise.
Does my sexiness upset you?
Does it come as a surprise
That I dance like I've got diamonds
At the meeting of my thighs?
Out of the huts of history's shame
I rise
Up from a past that's rooted in pain
I rise
I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.
Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that's wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise.
Lying, thinking
Last night
How to find my soul a home
Where water is not thirsty
And bread loaf is not stone
I came up with one thing
And I don't believe I'm wrong
That nobody,
But nobody
Can make it out here alone.
Alone, all alone
Nobody, but nobody
Can make it out here alone.
There are some millionaires
With money they can't use
Their wives run round like banshees
Their children sing the blues
They've got expensive doctors
To cure their hearts of stone.
But nobody
No, nobody
Can make it out here alone.
Alone, all alone
Nobody, but nobody
Can make it out here alone.
Now if you listen closely
I'll tell you what I know
Storm clouds are gathering
The wind is gonna blow
The race of man is suffering
And I can hear the moan,
'Cause nobody,
But nobody
Can make it out here alone.
Alone, all alone
Nobody, but nobody
Can make it out here alone.
of the poem was about a loved one she
wants to meet just one more time.
It gave me reasons to love one another.
Rhyme:abcbdefghijklmno
There's no poet devices used.
beutiful, really. The theme is about her baring
through her tough experiences and still, like
the poem says, she'll rise. Some historical
context can be applicable. The times of
slaves can be something that inspired her to
write this poem.
Rhyme:abcb defe ghih jklk mnon pqrq ststuuv
svwwsss
Personifacation, hyperbole, and simile are
used.
www.poemhunter.com/ maya-angelou
http://mayaangelou.com/bio/
http://www.biography.com/articles/Maya-Angelou-9185388
Books used: